Clothes-basket.



c. R. SARGENT. CLOTHES BASKET. APPLICATION FILED MAR. H, 1912.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

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CLOTHES BASKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 11,1912.

1,173,746. Patented Feb. 1916.

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l l l' 1 i 9; a 14 z 5 a; 13 'l. I 3 1'2 6. 3 .2 wwmeooaa Char/651i; 5603/46/47? THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH cm, WASHINGTON, D. c.

CHARLES R. SARGENT, 0F GRAND RAPIDS. MICHIGAN.

CLOTHES-BASKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed March 11, 1912. Serial No. 683,025.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. SARGENT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clothes-Baskets; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in baskets and more particularly to clothes baskets and the like and its object is to provide a more convenient device, to provide the same with supporting means whereby it is more convenient for use, to provide the same with folding legs and automatic means for operating the said legs and to provide the device with various new and useful features hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Heretofore clothes baskets have been made adapted to be deposited on the floor or ground or requiring some table or other suitable support to elevate the same in the event that it was found convenient so to do.

My invention consists essentially of a clothes basket of any convenient construction provided with folding legs adapted to support the same in elevated position, or to fold closely beneath the same and devices whereby the legs are automatically folded and manually opened adapted to be operated from a position near the top of the baskgt basket can be supported and the same time, as will more fully appear by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a basket provided with my invention; Fig. 2 an inverted plan view of the same with the legs folded; Fig. 3 a detail partially in side elevation and partially in of legs folded and the other pair partially broken away; Fig. t is an enlarged detail in vertical section showing the locking means for holding the legs in open position; Fig. 5 a detail of the same in plan view with parts broken away; Fig. 6 a detail showing an inverted plan of a modification; Fig. 7 the same shown partially in vertical section with one corner of the basket shown in elevation; and Fig. 8 an enlarged detail showing the arrangement of the modified spring.

whereby the the legs opened at section with one pair 1 Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

lrepresents a clothes basket of any convenient construction with the handles omitted.

2 is a frame upon which the basket is supported and to which it is attached in any convenient manner.

3 represents legs attached to the frame 2 by suitable hinges 4 said legs being arranged in pairs under the respective ends of the frame and the members of each pair connected by a rod 5. To each rod is secured one end of a contractile spring 6 the other end being suitably anchored beneath the basket. This spring automatically folds each pair of legs close beneath the platform when free to do so. To open the legs out in operative position, a cord 8 is connected to the legs preferably by a wheel 7 on which the cord is wound, from which wheel the cord extends upward across the end of the frame and preferably attached thereto is a rod 8 slidable in guides 9 and 9 on the end of the basket the upper guide having clearance enough around the rod whereby a collaror stop 11 will pass through the guide and rest on the top of the same, thus holding the rod 8 in elevated position and the legs 3 in supporting position with the spring 6 under tension. lVhen the stop 11 is released the legs are automatically folded by the action of the spring 6.

The upper end of each rod is preferably provided with an eye or handle 10 for convenience in manually operating the same. In the modified structure the rod 5 serves as a means of pivoting the legs to the basket the rods being extended through the same and journaled in lugs 12 on the under side of the frame 2 the spring 6 being coiled around the rod and secured thereto at one end and to the frame at the other end. This spring serves the same purpose as the spring 6.

On the middle of the rod is a pinion 13 in place of the wheel 7 and a rack 14: engages the pinion and is operated by a rod 8* which extends upward the same as the rod 8 and is provided with the same stop 11 and a handle 10 as is rod 8 The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description.

l/Vhen the basket is to be used, by seizing the handles 10 and lifting the basket the handles will move upward relative to the basket and thus the legs will be turned to supporting position as the basket rises, and by engaging the stops 11 with the guides 9 the legs will be held in this position. To close the legs the stops 11 are released from the loops and the basket lifted by any suitable handles thereon or by the upper band thereof to relieve the legs 3 from the load. The springs 6 or 6 as the case may be, will then automatically fold the legs beneath the basket. The basket can thus be used in elevated position for filling or emptying the same, and when out of use the legs can be folded closely beneath the same adapting the device to be conveniently stored when out of use.

I have shown herein and described a .clothes basket as the element comprising the receptacle of the combination but obviously any other receptacle whatever in place of the clothes basket, such for instance as a wash tub, bath tub or the like would obviously in no wise depart from the spirit of my invention and would be within the scope of what I claim.

WVhat I claim is 1. In combination with abasket, legs pivotally connected to the basket and adapted to fold beneath the same and to turn to supporting position, handles at the respective ends of the basket and vertically movable relative thereto, means for connecting the handles and legs whereby the legs are turned to supporting position by raising the handles, means for detachably holding the handles in said raised position, and means for automatically folding the legs when said handles are detached.

2. In combination with a basket, legs pivotally connected to the basket and adapted to fold beneath the same and to turn to supporting position, springs connected to the legs to automatically turn the same to folded position, handles vertically movable relative to the basket, cords connected to the handles and legs whereby the legs are turned to supporting position by moving the handles upward and means for detachably securing the handles in raised position.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the 3. In combination with a basket, legs pivotally connected to the basket and adapted to fold beneath the same and to 7 turn to supporting position, springs to autolegs to automatically fold the same, manually operated means connected to .the legs to unfold the same, extending upward at the respective ends of the basket, and means for locking the legs in unfolded position.

5. In combination with-a basket, legs pivotally connected to the basket and connected in pairs by rods, contractilev springs con nected to the rods at one end and anchored beneath the basket at the other end, a cord connected to each rod and extending upward at the respective end of the basket, a rod attached to each cord and having an eyeor handle at the upper end and a stop on each rod adapted to hold the rod in elevated position with the legs in supporting position.

6. In combination with a basket, a frame supporting the basket, a pair of legs pivoted to each end of the frame, a rod connecting each pair oflegs, a contractilev spring attached to each rod and anchored beneath the basket, a wheel on each rod, a cord wound on each wheel, a rod attached toeach cord and extending upward, guides in which each rod is slidable, a loop or handle on the upper end of each rod and a stop on each rod adapted to pass through the upper guide and engage the same to hold the rod in elevated position with the legs in supporting position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES R. SARGENT. lVitnesses LUTHER V. MoULToN, l-LinoLn O. VAN ANTWERP.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washingtonfl). C. 

